In preparation for the Summit, we recommend the following resources to provide some background so that you may take full advantage of the Summit activities and discussions. These materials are most relevant to Sessions D and E in the program. 

1) We invite you to browse this report on the findings from the Epicenter Research Community Survey.

2) Among the many topics we will discuss at the Research Summit is entrepreneurship curricula in general and the Lean Launch Pad (LLP) curriculum in particular.  Here are four resources that explain the LLP curriculum so that we can all be at the same level of awareness on this curricular approach.  We acknowledge that there are a number of approaches out there to entrepreneurship education for engineers and that there may even be disagreement about these approaches, and hope that this will be part of the discussion at the Summit.

Why the Lean Launch Pad Changes Everything – This Harvard Business Review article written by Steve Blank, an LLP evangelist, provides a concise overview of the LLP process.

For just a simple overview to LLP, please watch:

Lean Launch Pad Syllabus – The LLP curriculum has been taught to over 400 faculty reaching over 5,000 students.  Here is a sample LLP syllabus, which illustrates how LLP is brought to life in the classroom.

Learning Theory - As we discuss curriculum at the Research Summit, we will reference “learning theory.” While there are many examples of learning theory, we are supporters of the work of Susan Ambrose in her book How Learning Works: Seven Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching. We would encourage everyone to purchase this book and read it, however, given our time constraints we are providing a two-page summary of the key points republished from Chemical Engineering Education, 45(4), 257-258 (Fall 2011).

Business Model Canvas Explained – The Business Model Canvas (BMC) is the conceptual and practical roadmap for the LLP process.  Here is a link to a short video that explains how the BMC is used.